Jacksonville Cruise Port

Port of Jacksonville: An Overview

Jacksonville offers a great blend of outdoor appeal. It's got terrific beaches -- in fact, some 21 miles worth begins just a dozen miles from downtown. Other attractions include golf courses and hiking and cycling trails. The city's cultural scene is vibrant. Jacksonville is also a great family destination because so many of its attractions are kid-friendly.

And, finally, Jacksonville (and surrounding areas like St. Augustine) boasts something that few Florida ports of call can -- there's a lot of nearby history.

Hanging Around

You'll need a car for this port, but within a very short drive are fast-food places and nearby Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park is a good place to roam among the oak trees and Civil War relics, if you have extra time on your hands.

Don't Miss

Jacksonville's riverfront. The St. John's River divides the city in two and along both edges are restaurants and hotels. Jacksonville Landing, on the riverfront, is full of boutiques and shops. Water taxis operate along the river so it's easy to access either side.

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is a destination for casual as well as serious art lovers. It's located in a former estate and has an Old Masters and a German porcelain collection as well as beautiful gardens, right on the river, and a new and really fun interactive children's area where adults and kids can create take-home works of art. Open Tuesday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Wednesday – Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday noon - 5 p.m. (829 Riverside Avenue; 904-356-6857)

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is another terrific family destination. It's particularly known for its collection of rare waterfowl, though the African birds and mammals are pretty nifty too. The Range of the Jaguar features jaguars and other Central American creatures like tree sloths and poison arrow frogs, in an area done up to look like Mayan ruins. Open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (370 Zoo Parkway; 904-757-4463)

Kingsley Plantation on Fort George Island is Florida's only existing cotton plantation. Visitors can tour the late-18th-century planter's house and slave quarters. To get there, take the St. Johns River ferry at Mayport; it leaves every half-hour. Open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (11676 Palmetto Avenue; 904-251-3537)

There are many, many golf courses in and around Jacksonville. Aficionados may want to check out the World Golf Hall of Fame -- which contains golf courses, an academy, an IMAX theater and golf-related exhibits. Open Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday noon – 6 p.m. (One World Golf Place, St. Augustine; 904-940-4123)

Fort Caroline National Memorial is one of Jacksonville's classic historic sites, a park that commemorates the first French effort to establish a permanent colony in North America. The original fort was built in the 1560s; it's now a replica. Open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (12713 Fort Caroline Road, daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

The city's Riverside/Avondale is a historic neighborhood and a good place to find interesting shops, galleries and restaurants. Another good shopping option is the San Marco Square, designed to evoke Venice.

Nearby St. Augustine, about 30 miles from downtown Jacksonville, was founded sometime around 1565 by Spanish adventurers, and lays claim to being America's "oldest city." It's got quite a vital historic district -- much has been beautifully restored -- but does edge awfully close to downright touristy with a lot of trinket shops and t-shirt boutiques. Castillo de San Marcos National Monument dates to 1695 and is the best preserved example of a Spanish fort in the U.S. Beyond the history, St. Augustine has some interesting beaches and the Anastasia State Park, a protected bird sanctuary/park, is a great place to spend an afternoon.

Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, 35 miles northeast of Jacksonville, has a charming historic district, with Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, Victorian and Italianate architectural eras well represented. Fernandina Beach also has lots of cute boutiques and restaurants. Other sites to see on the island itself include Fort Clinch State Park, built after the War of 1812. The park is more than just a historic attraction; it has a great beach and nature trails and lots of restored buildings. Horseback riding is available on Main Beach.

Getting Around

Parking: There is a parking lot that lies adjacent to the Dames Point terminal and parking fees are on the Web site). As an option, those who plan to spend a pre-cruise night or two in the city should check out hotels that offer cruise packages which include free or discounted parking for the length of your cruise and transfers to the cruise terminal.

Taxis: Taxis line up at the cruise pier.

Rental Cars: Because Jacksonville and its neighboring sites-to-see are so spread out -- at 840 square miles, Jacksonville is geographically the largest city in the continental U.S. -- this is a good place to have a car handy. Budget, Avis and Hertz are among companies with rental facilities at the airport.

Beaches

Best active beach: Jacksonville Beach is the go-to beach for families and action-oriented folk. There's a boardwalk with all manner of beachy-type shops and food stalls and there are places to rent various types of water sports equipment.

Best quiet beach: Head to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island.

Best laid-back beach: Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park in Mayport is low-key, but still has facilities and snack bars.

At Jacksonville Beach, Joe's Crab Shack boasts such specials as Samuel Adams Steampot and The Bean Town Bake, and even has a gluten-free menu. Open daily 11 a.m. – midnight. (6 Beach Boulevard; 904-249-6160).

Where You're Docked

Ships currently dock at Jaxport's Dames Point Cruise Terminal (9810 August Drive), although the city is looking to build a new cruise port. Dames Point is about a 15-minute drive from downtown, and even closer to the airport.

Watch Out For

As with any big city -- and Jacksonville is very large geographically -- use common sense to keep safe. Don't flash valuables or walk around alone at night. Locals suggest avoiding the northwestern area of the city at night.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money

Currency is the U.S. dollar, and ATM's are readily available.

Language

English is spoken.

Best Souvenir

Or a dual-logo golf shirt from TPC Sawgrass Golf Shop for you or the duffer in your life. If you're style-challenged, enlist one of their personal shoppers to help. (110 Championship Way, Ponte Vedra Beach; 904-273-3235)

This is our first cruise ever and a familly of 14 adults and 8 kids.
We were pleasantly surprise.
My parents visiting from India had apprehensions of a ship being dirty and wet but were completely awed by the ship and cleanliness and ... Read more

Boy we just get out of the ship yesterday and booked again! The ship is showing its age but they were doing maintenance all the time, that was great to see! We had a blast! I will sum up our experience:
Faster to the Fun: Yes, spend that extra ... Read more

We chose this cruise as it was during school vacation week and the DW is a secretary in the school system. It fell within our budget.
Embarkation was fine. Uber had an issue at the port and got a ticket, but we were fine.
Ship: Needs a ... Read more

American Cruise Lines has a slogan, "Small Ship Cruising Done Perfectly." Yep, they certainly did it. Everything was perfect. The food was scrumptious. I liked that they offered half portions, so I was less tempted to overeat. There ... Read more

For our kids' first cruise with our boys aged 16 and 11, we chose Carnival's 5-night Bahamas cruise aboard the Elation. This was only the second cruise for myself and DH; our first was 7-nights aboard Celebrity Reflection. So, we've kind of seen ... Read more

Just got back early this morning from our 5 night cruise on the Elation. Once again I was pleasantly surprised by our experience, especially after reading some of the other reviews on this forum. We took a taxi directly from the airport which was ... Read more

We sailed with our extended family because of a wedding.The carnival people onboard were great,but the cruise its self was very rough.many passangers were sea sick.half moon cay was beautiful.the food on board was good.The bar service was hit or ... Read more